Perhaps this is unduly optimistic, but I think that it's relatively hard for it not to have at least a trace of dust inside at some point in the ingestion path.

Haven't seen any discussion about or references to the possible electrostatic condition of the spacecraft with respect to Itokawa but there must have been some potential, of course, and probably a bit of dust was raised during the landings.

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A few will take this knowledge and use this power of a dream realized as a force for change, an impetus for further discovery to make less ancient dreams real.

No, I do not. It was reported in the Asahi Simbun (newspaper) yesterday. There was an additional comment there (which I did not translate), I think, from somebody within JAXA, that they had not expected to find such large grains to be there in the first place.

They were apparently looking for something like 0.5 mm grains to be found in the capsule. Are not they too small for analysis? The X-ray resolution did not reach that scale and so we will have to see what they may do next.

Here, I do not, either. It is information I found during the last one month in search for more info about Hayabusa, somewhere out on the net that NASA was going to launch a SRM in November this year. I was excited when I saw it. I hope that they will!

By the way, what do you guys think? I have since found some more stories about the last stage of Hayabusa, from people who was assinged to take the last Earth photo, for instance and other people, too, and I found them interesting and am willing to translate.

However, I am not exactly sure if I should do it over here at this forum or inside the previous long viewing forum.

I mus hasten to add that I am not 100% sure if I will be able to find them again. I think they were somewhere inside JAXA site.

Pandaneko, I'm not aware of any approved NASA sample return missions. Your source may have been referring to the OSIRIS-REX proposal, which is one of three finalists for the next New Frontiers mission.

I'm not sure when the final selection will be made, but even if it makes the cut I doubt it will fly much before 2014 or so.

EDIT: Whups. I should read the whole article before posting. The final selection will be made in mid-2011, and the chosen project has to launch by 30 Dec 2018.

EDIT2: This English article (dated 19 Jun) from Asahi Shimbun does mention that JAXA was going to X-ray the capsule to 'look for internal damage'. Might be a translation difficulty, or the <1 mm constraint on upper particle size might have been an ancilliary finding.

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A few will take this knowledge and use this power of a dream realized as a force for change, an impetus for further discovery to make less ancient dreams real.

Pandaneko, I'm not aware of any approved NASA sample return missions. Your source may have been referring to the OSIRIS-REX proposal, which is one of three finalists for the next New Frontiers mission.

I'm not sure when the final selection will be made, but even if it makes the cut I doubt it will fly much before 2014 or so.

EDIT: Whups. I should read the whole article before posting. The final selection will be made in mid-2011, and the chosen project has to launch by 30 Dec 2018.

EDIT2: This English article (dated 19 Jun) from Asahi Shimbun does mention that JAXA was going to X-ray the capsule to 'look for internal damage'. Might be a translation difficulty, or the <1 mm constraint on upper particle size might have been an ancilliary finding.

I feel very sad to know that NASA may not make it while I am alive..., if this were right.

Here's a Bing translation of the Ashai article you linked to, Pandaneko:

"Capsule from asteroid "Itokawa" spacecraft "Peregrine" brought to Earth, including big sand １ mm or more is that they are not 18, was confirmed. Aerospace development agency but x-ray study internal situation. Be included in such as １ mm following dust have been left yet. Japan Agency facilities located in Tokyo, Chofu City carried capsules taken inside the x-ray. Confirmed that vessel to reclaim Itokawa sand lid is firmly closed. It is said that there was no such sand particles on the other hand, resolution photos of １ mm to change such as. Was the plan to collect debris scattered and fired small bullet when you land on Itokawa Hayabusa,. That might include dust soared in the shock of landing at the bullet firing failed, but entered the capsule and expectations."

My wife's interpretation was that the X-rays should have been able to resolve any particles larger than 1 mm. Also, it's confirmed that the sampling pellet did not fire.

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A few will take this knowledge and use this power of a dream realized as a force for change, an impetus for further discovery to make less ancient dreams real.

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